Some conventional telephone answering devices are capable of setting the ringing counter circuit which counts calling signals and operates upon receiving the preset number of ringing or calling signals. These devices, however, are incapable of energizing after counting the precise number of rings, for example, twenty-three rings or forty-four rings. For instance, in the case of connecting a call diverting device with a telephone answering device, in order to operate the telephone answering device automatically when a call diverted party cannot answer the call, there must be means which operates the telephone answering device if the call diverted party doesn't answer the call after dozens of ringing signals. The conventional means for setting the preset ringing counter which the telephone answering device itself contains is not actually capable of doing such an operation.